TAMPA, March 7, 2023 – The University of South Florida softball team capped off their six-day stretch with two walk-offs against the University of Pennsylvania, 6-5 and 7-6, on Tuesday night in extra innings.
GAME 1 | Penn 5, USF 6 (8)
With an action packed fifth inning, the Bulls cut the Quakers 5-0 lead to one. A leadoff single from Jordyn Kadlub (Wesley Chapel), and back-to-back walks from Kathy Garcia-Soto (Tampa) and Natalie Zweig (Tampa) loaded the bases with no outs.
Back-to-back singles from Meghan Sheehan (Forest Hills, Md.) and Emilee Hanlon (Dunkirk, N.Y.) brought two runs across the plate. A sacrifice fly from Alyssa Rano (Seminole) and an error by the Quakers allowed two more Bull runs to make it a 5-4 game.
South Florida was down to their final three outs but wasn’t going out without a fight. Camille Ortiz-Martinez (Ponce, Puerto Rico) hit a ground-rule double to start the inning off. Zweig pinch ran and scored on a single from Hallie Bryant (Trenton) to tie the game.
Payton Dixon (Smyrna, Del.) came into the game in the top of the sixth and picked up where she left off last night. In the eighth inning, she retired the first two batters and finished with five strikeouts.
Marissa Trivelpiece (Sugarloaf, Pa.) doubled to start the eighth inning off, quickly putting a runner in scoring position. Lauren Bevis (Jacksonville) pinch ran and advanced on a sacrifice bunt. Kadlub hit the game winning RBI to bring Bevis home.
GAME 2 | Penn 6, USF 7 (8)
Both teams carried their momentum into the second game with Penn scoring two runs in the first inning. South Florida answered with one run on a groundout by Rano to score Bryant.
Three more runs followed in the second inning. Hanlon reached on a fielder’s choice with the bases loaded for Tieley Vaughn (Wesley Chapel) to score. Trivelpiece hit her second double of the day for Bryant and Allana Consolazio (Fort Myers) to come home and give the Bulls the 4-2 lead.
Penn battled back and took a 6-4 lead. In the sixth inning, South Florida loaded the bases on singles from Trivelpiece and Ortiz-Martinez, and a fielder’s choice from Kadlub. Megan Pierro (Lutz) hit a two-RBI single to tie the game at six.
Garcia-Soto started the eighth inning with a bunt and beat out the throw. Rian Eigenmann (Millville, N.J.) went down in the count after a bunt rolled foul. She swung at the next pitch and hit a walk-off triple for Garcia-Soto to score.
NOTABLES
- This is the first time that South Florida has walked-off an opponent twice in one day.
- Dixon earned the win in both games, improving her record to 7-3.
- She finished with 12 strikeouts combined.
- Sheehan hit her first career triple.
- Trivelpiece, Pierro, and Rano had multi-RBI nights.
Up Next
South Florida take a day off before welcome Penn State, Illinois, Marist, and Saint Francis for the USF Tournament this Thursday-Sunday
About USF Softball
Be sure to follow USF softball on social media (Twitter / Facebook / Instagram) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information. The USF softball program has been one of the most successful on campus, making 16 NCAA tournament appearances, including a trip to the Women’s College World Series in 2012.
– #GoBulls –
